Reflection #2: Eyes in the Back of Your Head: Observing Student Actions==
From a seat in the rear of the room, observe your students and take notes on what they are doing while the teacher is presenting in the front of the room, while they are supposed to be taking notes, doing seatwork, and/or when they are working in the lab. Look closely at each student for a range of behaviors, and resist the temptation on only see what you expect. Note especially what is happening furthest from the teacher.
What strategies are used by your CT to encourage students to attend and engage? Watch carefully how your CT moves around the room. Draw a map of the classroom and sketch a path showing (approximately) this movement.
How important is student engagement to your view of how you will teach? What strategies will you employ to encourage student engagement?
My CT seems very good at knowing when her students are becoming restless, when this occurs she tends to switch to something that requires more active participation. She also doesn't do one specific thing for more than like 10-15 min. She rarely walks around the room unless she is passing out a worksheet, checking notebooks, or if the students are working on an assignment. Most of the time she is in the front of the class or at one of the lab stations. Most of the classes I have observed have been really engaged and respectful.
I feel student participation is a very important part of any classroom in order to maximize learning. I plan to institute classroom expectations at the very begining and be consistant in terms of enforcement. Obviously this will not always work so in those instances it is my job to evaluate the cause and alter my lesson to compensate. Also I feel if you speak in a softer voice it forces the students to focus on you in order to hear what is being said. Sometimes all that is needed is a subtle gesture or comment. Like inserting the name of the student into your lecture, tapping a desk, or a hand on the shoulder. Granted there are some instances where no matter what you do nothing will work. Those cases need to be delt with on a case by case basis.
From a seat in the rear of the room, observe your students and take notes on what they are doing while the teacher is presenting in the front of the room, while they are supposed to be taking notes, doing seatwork, and/or when they are working in the lab. Look closely at each student for a range of behaviors, and resist the temptation on only see what you expect. Note especially what is happening furthest from the teacher.
What strategies are used by your CT to encourage students to attend and engage? Watch carefully how your CT moves around the room. Draw a map of the classroom and sketch a path showing (approximately) this movement.
How important is student engagement to your view of how you will teach? What strategies will you employ to encourage student engagement?
My CT seems very good at knowing when her students are becoming restless, when this occurs she tends to switch to something that requires more active participation. She also doesn't do one specific thing for more than like 10-15 min. She rarely walks around the room unless she is passing out a worksheet, checking notebooks, or if the students are working on an assignment. Most of the time she is in the front of the class or at one of the lab stations. Most of the classes I have observed have been really engaged and respectful.
I feel student participation is a very important part of any classroom in order to maximize learning. I plan to institute classroom expectations at the very begining and be consistant in terms of enforcement. Obviously this will not always work so in those instances it is my job to evaluate the cause and alter my lesson to compensate. Also I feel if you speak in a softer voice it forces the students to focus on you in order to hear what is being said. Sometimes all that is needed is a subtle gesture or comment. Like inserting the name of the student into your lecture, tapping a desk, or a hand on the shoulder. Granted there are some instances where no matter what you do nothing will work. Those cases need to be delt with on a case by case basis.